The association between economic inactivity and mental health among young people: a longitudinal study of young adults who are not in employment, education or training

ObjectivesIncreasing rates of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) are a cause of concern both in Ireland and internationally, but little longitudinal research has examined the link between psychiatric disorder in young people and NEET status.MethodsThe Challenging Times (CT) Study is a longitudinal, population-based study of psychopathology among 212 young Irish people. Clinical interviews were performed at two time points: 12–15 years and 19–24 years.ResultsNEET status in young adulthood was associated with a sevenfold increased risk of current suicidal ideation. This result was independent of prior adolescent mental disorder. NEET young people had a fourfold increased odds of being diagnosed with a mental disorder in childhood or early adolescence compared with their economically active peers. NEET young people were at an almost threefold increased risk of any mental health disorder a twofold increased risk of anxiety disorder and threefold increased odds of suicide attempts over their lifetime compared with economically active peers.ConclusionsNEET young people are at increased risk for mental disorder and suicidal ideation. The association is bidirectional, as prior mental disorder in adolescence appeared to account for much of the association between NEET status and current mental health problems. However, economic inactivity conveys an increased risk for suicidal ideation over and above that due to prior disorder. Our findings provide a compelling economic and societal argument for early intervention and treatment of mental disorder and the importance of vocational interventions for reducing suicide risk in young adults.

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Sexual violence and suicidal ideation among French adults, a mediation analysis

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz186.576 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

F El-Khoury ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Mediation Analysis ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Adult Population ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Objectives Sexual violence against women is endemic and is linked with a host of mental health problems and suicidal behaviour. We test whether sexual violence is more prevalent and have more damaging psychological effects among women compared to men, and quantify its mediating role in the association between sex and suicidal ideation and behaviour. Methods We used data from the “Health Barometer” (Baromètre Santé) 2017 a cross-sectional phone survey, which recruited a nationally representative sample of French adults aged 18 to 75 years in 2017 (n = 25319). Data were weighted to be representative of the French adult population. Outcomes included suicidal ideation, imagery of suicide, and suicide attempts in the preceding year. We conducted mutlivariable mediation analysis using the counterfactual approach to evaluate the contribution that lifetime sexual violence has in the association between sex and suicidal ideation and behaviour. Results We found that women are five times more likely to have experienced sexual victimisation, and are more at risk of any suicidal ideation and imagery of suicide in the preceding year compared to men. Women and men had comparable rates of suicide attempts in the preceding year. We estimated that 47% of the increased risk of suicidal ideation in the preceding year women have compared to men is mediated by lifetime sexual assault. Lifetime sexual assault also explained 39% of the association between sex and having imagery of suicide. Discussion Our findings reiterate the importance of the prevention of sexual violence and an adequate care for sexual assault victims, especially women, in public health and mental health policies and initiatives. Key messages Women are five times more likely to have experienced sexual victimisation compared to men, and are more likely to suffer from suicidal ideation in the preceding year. Experience of lifetime sexual violence contributes substantially (around 50%) to women’s increased likelihood of suicidal ideation compared to men.

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Family Type Predicts Mental Health Problems in Young Adults: A Survey of Students at a University in Botswana

SOUTHERN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ◽

10.25159/2415-5829/6823 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Kennedy Amone-P'Olak ◽

Boniface Kealeboga Ramotuana

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Single Mother ◽

Health Problems ◽

Family Type ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intact Family ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Family Types

In Africa, the structure of the family is changing rapidly. The effects of this change on mental health remain unknown. This study investigated the extent to which different family types (intact, single-mother, and multiple) predict mental health problems in young adults in Botswana (N = 264, mean age = 21.31, SD = 2.40). In a cross-sectional design, the study sampled students registered at various faculties at the University of Botswana. The revised symptoms checklist (SCL-90-R) was used to assess symptoms of mental health problems (depression, anxiety and hostility). Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (CIs) of mental health problems for mother-only and multiple family types relative to the intact family type. Compared to the intact family type, single-mother (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.21, 4.51) and multiple family types (OR = 1.56; CI: 0.88, 2.78) were associated with an increased risk of depression. For anxiety, the ORs were 2.27 (CI: 1.18, 4.38) and 1.10 (CI: 0.56, 1.82) for single-mother and multiple family types respectively. For hostility, the ORs were 2.60 (CI: 1.34, 5.04), and 0.79 (CI: 0.44, 1.42) for single-mother and multiple family types, respectively. Family types predict mental health problems in young adults and therefore the interventions to mitigate the effects should consider family backgrounds and the ramifications of family types for treatment and care.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Suicidal ideation, mental health problems, and social impairment are increased in adolescents with acne: a population-based study.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.8237959.8397054 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriella Fabbrocini

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Population Based ◽

Health Problems ◽

Social Impairment ◽

Population Based Study

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Suicidal Ideation and Predictors of Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Eswatini: A Population-Based Household Telephone Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136700 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6700

Author(s):

Mduduzi Colani Shongwe ◽

Song-Lih Huang

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Telephone Survey ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Psychological Distress Scale ◽

The Government ◽

Distress Scale

The unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic can induce psychological distress in individuals. We investigated perceived stressors, prevalence of psychological distress and suicidal ideation, and predictors of psychological distress among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini. This study was a cross-sectional, population-based household telephone survey of 993 conveniently sampled adults (18+ years) from all the four administrative regions of Eswatini. Data were collected between 9 June and 18 July 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country was under a partial lockdown. COVID-19-related psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale (K6). We performed weighted modified Poisson regression analyses to identify significant predictors of moderate/severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥5). The weighted prevalences of moderate (K6 scores: 5–12) and severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥13) were 41.7% and 5.4%, respectively. Participants reported several perceived COVID-19-related stressors, including worries and fears of the contagion-specific death, serious need for food and money, and concerns about loss of income or business. The weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation was 1.5%. Statistically significant predictors of increased risk for moderate/severe psychological distress included living in the Hhohho and Manzini regions; feeling not well informed about COVID-19; feeling lonely; having received COVID-19 food or financial relief from the government; feeling burdened by the lockdown; being married; and being youth (18–24 years). The results call for the government to urgently augment the provision of mental health services during the pandemic. Mental health practitioners and programs may use several stressors and risk factors identified in this study to inform interventions and government policies aimed at reducing psychological distress induced by the pandemic.

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Life, lifestyle and location: examining the complexities of psychological distress in young adult Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ◽

10.1017/s2040174417000162 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 541-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

B. Davison ◽

T. Nagel ◽

G. R. Singh

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Emotional Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Indigenous Australians ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Self Harm

Mental health is fundamental to an individual’s health and well-being. Mental health disorders affect a substantial portion of the Australian population, with the most vulnerable time in adolescence and young adulthood. Indigenous Australians fare worse than other Australians on almost every measure of physical and mental health. Cross-sectional data from young adults (21–27 years) participating in the Life Course Program, Northern Territory, Australia, is presented. Rates of psychological distress were high in remote and urban residing Indigenous and urban non-Indigenous young adults. This rate was more pronounced in young women, particularly in Indigenous remote and urban residing women. Young adults with high psychological distress also had lower levels of positive well-being, higher perceived stress levels, experienced a higher number of major life events and were at an increased risk of suicidal ideation and/or self-harm. This study supports the need for a continued focus on early screening and treatment at this vulnerable age. The significant association seen between psychological distress and other markers of emotional well-being, particularly risk of suicidal ideation and/or self-harm, highlights the need for a holistic approach to mental health assessment and treatment. A concerted focus on improving the environs of young adults by lowering levels of stress, improving access to adequate housing, educational and employment opportunity, will assist in improving the emotional health of young adults.

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Trends in mental health, non‐suicidal self‐harm and suicide attempts in 16–24-year old students and non-students in England, 2000–2014

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology ◽

10.1007/s00127-019-01797-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 125-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S. McManus ◽

D. Gunnell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young People ◽

Mental Disorder ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Common Mental Disorder ◽

Psychiatric Morbidity ◽

Female Students ◽

Self Harm ◽

Using Data ◽

Over Time

Abstract There are concerns about high levels of mental ill-health amongst university students, but little is known about the mental health of students compared to non-students over time. Using data on young people (16–24) from three UK National Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys (2000, 2007, and 2014), we found no evidence that the overall prevalence of common mental disorder (CMD), suicide attempts, or non-suicidal self-harm (NSSH) differed between students and non-students, although there was an indication that CMDs rose markedly in female students between 2007 and 2014. A rise in NSSH is apparent in both students and non-students.

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Risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation and behaviour in Rwandan children

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.114.154591 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 207 (3) ◽

pp. 262-268 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Lauren C. Ng ◽

Catherine M. Kirk ◽

Frederick Kanyanganzi ◽

Mary C. Smith Fawzi ◽

Vincent Sezibera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Hiv Status ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Matched Case ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Control Study

BackgroundSuicide is a leading cause of death for young people. Children living in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV rates are disproportionately high, may be at increased risk.AimsTo identify predictors, including HIV status, of suicidal ideation and behaviour in Rwandan children aged 10–17.MethodMatched case–control study of 683 HIV-positive, HIV-affected (seronegative children with an HIV-positive caregiver), and unaffected children and their caregivers.ResultsOver 20% of HIV-positive and affected children engaged in suicidal behaviour in the previous 6 months, compared with 13% of unaffected children. Children were at increased risk if they met criteria for depression, were at high-risk for conduct disorder, reported poor parenting or had caregivers with mental health problems.ConclusionsPolicies and programmes that address mental health concerns and support positive parenting may prevent suicidal ideation and behaviour in children at increased risk related to HIV.

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Cannabis and suicide: longitudinal study

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.109.065227 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 195 (6) ◽

pp. 492-497 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Ceri Price ◽

Tomas Hemmingsson ◽

Glyn Lewis ◽

Stanley Zammit ◽

Peter Allebeck

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Military Service ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Strong Association ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Completed Suicide ◽

Increased Risk

BackgroundSome studies suggest that cannabis use is associated with suicidal ideation, but no detailed longitudinal study has examined suicide as an outcome.AimsTo examine the association between cannabis use and completed suicide.MethodA longitudinal study investigated 50 087 men conscripted for Swedish military service, with cannabis use measured non-anonymously at conscription. Suicides during 33 years of follow-up were identified by linkage with the National Cause of Death Register.ResultsThere were 600 (1.2% of cohort) suicides or deaths from undetermined causes. Cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of suicide (crude OR for ‘ever use’ 1.62, 95% CI 1.28–2.07), but this association was eliminated after adjustment for confounding (adjusted OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.65–1.20).ConclusionsAlthough there was a strong association between cannabis use and suicide, this was explained by markers of psychological and behavioural problems. These results suggest that cannabis use is unlikely to have a strong effect on risk of completed suicide, either directly or as a consequence of mental health problems secondary to its use.

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Working hours, common mental disorder and suicidal ideation among junior doctors in Australia: a cross-sectional survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033525 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. e033525 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Katherine Petrie ◽

Joanna Crawford ◽

Anthony D LaMontagne ◽

Allison Milner ◽

Jessica Dean ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Mental Disorder ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Common Mental Disorder ◽

Working Hours ◽

Junior Doctors ◽

Full Time ◽

Medical Trainees ◽

The Impact

ObjectiveDespite concern regarding high rates of mental illness and suicide amongst the medical profession, the link between working hours and doctors’ mental health remains unclear. This study examines the relationship between average weekly working hours and junior doctors’ (JDs’) mental health in Australia.Design and participantsA randomly selected sample of 42 942 Australian doctors were invited to take part in an anonymous Beyondblue National Mental Health Survey in 2013, of whom 12 252 doctors provided valid data (response rate approximately 27%). The sample of interest comprised 2706 full-time graduate medical trainees in various specialties, at either intern, prevocational or vocational training stage. Consultants and retired doctors were excluded.Outcome measuresMain outcomes of interest were caseness of common mental disorder (CMD) (assessed using a cut-off of 4 as a threshold on total General Health Questionnaire-28 score), presence of suicidal ideation (SI) (assessed with a single item) and average weekly working hours. Logistic regression modelling was used to account for the impact of age, gender, stage of training, location of work, specialty, marital status and whether JDs had trained outside Australia.ResultsJDs reported working an average of 50.1 hours per week (SD=13.4). JDs who worked over 55 hours a week were more than twice as likely to report CMD (adjusted OR=2.05; 95% CI 1.62 to 2.59, p<0.001) and SI (adjusted OR=2.00; 95% CI 1.42 to 2.81, p<0.001) compared to those working 40–44 hours per week.ConclusionsOur results show that around one in four JDs are currently working hours that are associated with a doubling of their risk of common mental health problems and SI. These findings suggest that management of working hours represents an important focus for workplaces to improve the mental health of medical trainees.

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